New facial recognition app helps find lost pets

The Polimenos were inspired to create the Finding Rover app after they saw a poster for a missing dog. (WPVI)

WPVI

Wednesday, September 02, 2015

A California couple has developed a new app to help track down lost pets.

The Polimenos were inspired to create the Finding Rover app after they saw a poster for a missing dog.

Owners can take pictures of their pet from several angles and create a facial recognition profile in the program's database.

If a pet is lost, and someone finds it-- they can search the database for the matching profile.

The Polimenos say their app can even tell similar looking animals apart.

"We found at the University of Utah these amazing scientists, commissioned a study," said founder John Polimeno. "So we basically had 2 PhDs on it for a year, developing the algorithms that can identify one dog or one cat from any other. And with 98-99 percent accuracy, after a year, we were able to do it."

SPCA officials believe it will save lives.

The app is free and available for iOS and Android devices and also on the web.